The Adventures of Hassan

The Adventures of Hassan are a series of short adventure stories, set
in the future. The hero of the stories, Hassan, is a young man who was
born in the city of Kufa on the rather desolate planet Lam, a colony established
over a century before his birth when many people fled the turmoil and persecutions
which followed the Great Revolution on Earth. The revolutionists sought
to violently overthrow what had become a military dictatorship in all but
name, and the initial military retaliation was severe.

The uprising failed to achieve most of its aims, but did lead, after
several years of bloodshed and turmoil, to a long period of civilian rule
which brought stability and prosperity to most of the citizens of Earth.
During this period, the colony on Lam concentrated on building trading
links with nearby colonies and star-systems, and on developing new technology,
particularly that related to Space travel.

The Earth Government slowly ventured back into Space, establishing military
outposts and regaining control of several nearby colonies which had declared
their independence from Earth control. Growing more confident, and eager
to maintain its new prosperity, the Earth Government began a policy of
expansion, driven by the renewed power and influence of the military many
of whose idealistic young Officers dreamed of an Empire centered on Earth
and who took as their model the ancient Earth Empire of Rome. The
President of the Earth Government was concerned about growing divisions
on Earth itself, and within the military, and believed that by encouraging
expansion, and spreading the idea of a new Earth Empire, he could unite
its people.

At the same time, the President and his military advisors were becoming
increasingly occupied with the growing influence of Lam, and particularly
about the new acausal star-drive which Lam had invented which Earth believed
would give Lam an overwhelming military superiority. With Presidential
elections near, and with his personal popularity decreasing, the President
decided it would be an opportune time to plan and then launch an invasion
of Lam and so gain control of Lam's new Space technology. As part of this
plan, Martial Law was declared in the territories around the city of Najaf
on Earth, for the peoples in these territories follow the culture, religion
and customs of the colonists on Lam. Many of those who founded the colony
on Lam were from this area of Earth.

The first adventure takes place while Earth is preparing to invade Lam.

The first adventure in the series is called Kufa. Further adventures
will follow.

A Glossary of terms important for an understanding of the culture
of Lam and the Earth society of the time is given below.

Note: The stories will be up-loaded as they are written, so check back
if the story is not complete.